Founded in 1977, Samarco is a Brazilian mining company, privately held, controlled in equal parts by two shareholders: BHP Billiton Brazil Ltda. and Vale SA. Its main product are iron ore pellets produced from the transformation of low content minerals in a noble product, with high added value, and marketed to the global steel industry. It is essentially an exporting company and, in 2013, sold its production to 20 countries in the Americas, Asia, Africa, Europe and Middle East companies.

With the inauguration of the Fourth Pellet Plant in the first half of 2014, the nominal production capacity increased from 22.25 million to 30.5 million tons per year, generating more than 2900 direct jobs and 3500 indirect jobs.

Samarco is the second largest exporter in the transoceanic market for iron ore pellets and, in 2014, was again recognized as the Best Mining Company of Brazil and the second largest sector, by Exame magazine. Owns three concentrators, installed at Germano, located in the cities of Mariana and Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, which benefit the ore and increase its iron content. The structure of Samarco still has four pellet plants (to transform the ore into pellets) in Ubu, in the city of Anchieta, Espírito Santo. [1]

Learn more about the projects developed by GMAP | UNISINOS in partnership with Samarco: